JPRambo
Platinum Member
I plan to start turning these logs into lumber real soon. I'll find out if ants are the reason. I'm hoping for about 300 bdft to build a shelving unit next year
I remember going to that event, or another like it in Lancaster, as a kid with my father. Lots of enormous old steam tractors, stationary power plants, hit and miss engines, etc.They're a huge amount of fun. There's one they call "Rough and Tumble" near Lancaster PA. Big turn out for the steam tractors, plus there are a number of running "hit and Miss" engines running pumps, log saws, corn shucker's, etc. Plus old vintage combustion engine tractors.
At Noon all the steam tractors blow their steam whistles...dozens of huge tractors with locomotive whistles...it's cover your ears deafening and lasts for 2 or 3 minutes!!
We often find oaks hollowed out and full of carpenter ants, as well. I don't think the carpenter ants are doing the damage, I think they're just opportunists who move in, after the decay has already taken hold.Don’t know about your area but if a red oak is standing dead in the forest around New England, it’s mostly about carpenter ants.
When processing firewood from these trees, I always have a can of bug spray or even brake cleaner to kill the multitude of nests l find lurking in these stems.
Thanks. There is another dead one about 50 feet from this one that I will be taking down in the near future, so will try your method.Runner - I can’t see enough in those pictures to tell, especially when viewing on my phone.
One thing to check: Ash has opposite branching (two branches sprout off opposite sides of the stem). Maple and dogwood share this trait. If it has alternate branching (a left handed branch, then move up the stem a bit before you get to a right-hand branch), then it is not an Ash.
Good point. Now that you mention it, I have some ash in the pile that I split (by hand) several years ago (and yes, it was a BIG pain, very stringy and tough). I will try to split some and also compare the bark.If you aren’t sure between Ash and Elm, just try to hand split some firewood. That will tell you in an instant: if it splits in two if you look at it too hard, it’s Ash. If it’s a pain to split even with a hydraulic splitter, it’s Elm.
If it was “very stringy and tough”, it was probably not Ash.Good point. Now that you mention it, I have some ash in the pile that I split (by hand) several years ago (and yes, it was a BIG pain, very stringy and tough). I will try to slit some and also compare the bark.
Will try to get a piccy of its twin before I take it down also.